I guess good results won't change her mind....

x.doublea · I guess good results won't change her mind....

Clijsters cofirms that she'll quit in '07

PARIS - Kim Clijsters is the reigning
U.S. Open champion, is ranked No. 2 in the world, is still winning matches in under an hour, and is all of 22 years old. Yet she still plans to quit after next season.

The Belgian confirmed Friday at the
French Open what she announced last year — that she intends to retire in 2007 because of the serious nature of the injuries she'd endured, including a bad left wrist that kept her off the court for most of 2004, and assorted ankle, knee and back problems, too.

"My main decision is just that I want to still be able to be healthy when I'm older," Clijsters said after a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Conchita Martinez Granados in the second round at Roland Garros that took 55 minutes.

"I don't want to be having injuries that cause me to not be able to do all the things that I want to do when I stop playing tennis," she added. "That's why I felt that in the last year and a half, my injuries have been restricting me from the game of tennis that I want to play and the level that I used to play."

Clijsters was 0-4 in major finals before winning at Flushing Meadows in September. She was runner-up at the French Open in 2001 and 2003.

This year, Clijsters won her 31st career title at Warsaw, Poland, on clay, and reached the final at her home country tournament in Antwerp, and the semifinals at the
Australian Open. But the Belgian insists that she never goes on the court feeling entirely physically fit.

"I have to say, I don't think I've played a week the last year or so being 100 percent physically," Clijsters said. "When I was 15, 16, I played singles, doubles every tournament. If I had to do that now, you could take me to the hospital."

J-man

Well I guess that her progative. I would like to see her keep going because she has a great carrer still awaiting

PSALT

if she wants to retire, fine. she was an absolute IDIOT for announcing it this early though!

x.doublea

If she does retire, she'll probably be one of the greatest underachievers in the sport....

leftys_rock

the thing is, she doesnt seem to WANT to win anymore....in pre tourney press conferences, she is like "i will be happy to win just a few matches" and then she makes a SF run or something.... Rolling Eyes

....she is a nice person, but i dont like it when she announces her "early" loss....

J-man

Well that's a sign that she is done with the game at the Pro level

x.doublea

It's really too bad...she's a player too good to just be a one-slam wonder.